Car-unloader



A. W. CROTHAMEL.

CAR UNLOADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.B. 1919.

1,337,047. Patentad Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

ALMON W. CRO'II-IAMEL, OF OCEAN VIEW, VIRGINIA.

CAR-UNLOADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed August 8, 1919. Serial No. 316,254.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMoN W. Cnorrm MEL, of Ocean View, in the county of Norfolk, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Unloaders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap ertains to make and use the same.

y object is to provide simple and improved means for unloading coal, stone or gravel from open cars. I especially provide a structure which may be cheaply manufactured to meet the conditions where an expensive installation is not warranted and which permits the ready attachment to a car or other container.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention mounted within a car. Fig. 2 is an end view.

The car 1 may support the apparatus by means of brackets 2 equipped with clamping screws to permit of ready attachment and removal. These brackets are shown provided with supporting arms 3 on which is mounted a cross shaft forming the journal for a sheave 4. Arms 5 on the brackets are formed with angular guide holding parts 6 in which the guides 7 are held and vertically adjustable by means of drift pins 8. The bracket is provided with a pivoted latch 9. A cable 10 is passed over the sheave 4 and adapted to be secured to a suitable drum orpulley.

I have shown two of the guides 7. Each is adapted to be disposed in substantially upright position and is provided with a curved portion 12 at its lower extremity which terminates about at right angles to the main portion of the guides. They are preferably of L-shape in cross section and made of detachable sections which may be separated as at 13. It will be understood that these guides are to be gradually lowered into the car as the material is emptied, this being accomplished by simply loosening the drift pins 8. Near their lower ends the guides are provided with brackets 14 connected by cross rod 14. (Fig. 2.) Links 14 are shown on the cross rod adjacent each bracket. They are connected by an arm 15 to constitute a swinging frame. The arm 15 carries a sheave 16 over which the cable 10 is passed. As shown in Fig. 1, this cable is secured to the scoop 17 of any desired form and capacity and preferably equipped with one or more handles 18. The sheave 16 normally lies in the full line position. By means of a lever 19 keyed on cross arm 14*, the cross arm, the links, the arm 15 and the sheave may be swung into the dotted line position. The lever is equipped with a latch 20 to engage ratchet 20 The plate 21 is movable with the swinging frame and adapted to lie adjacent the sheave 16 to prevent fouling of the sheave. Stops 2O on cross arm 15 engage bracket 14 when the sheave is in its operative or full line position. The means described contemplates the manual swinging of the sheave by means of the lever but obviously it is unnecessary to effect this step by hand since the scoop in its movement along the guides will contact with the shield plate 21 and swing the sheave, so that a counter-weight in lieu of the lever will insure the same results.

I also make provision for securing the guides in the proper position in the car. I employ supports 22 which are made of overlapping sections and preferably of channel irons. The sections are formed with holes 23 through which pins 24 are passed to hold the supports at the desired length. I have shown the supports held to the guides 7 by hooks 25 and to the sides of the car by similar hooks and clamps 26 equipped with capstan head screws. This provides for readily attaching and removing the sup ports and effectively holding the apparatus at the desired point.

In operation the guides and supports are adjusted to the level of the material and the scoop is manipulated until it contains the desired quantity of material. It may be moved about freely as the cable 10 is the only element connected to the scoop. When power is started to elevate the scoop it is first drawn in a horizontal direction toward the curved extremities of the guides. As it passes around these curved surfaces the scoop or the material within it contacts with the shield plate 21 and swings the sheave 16 into the dotted line position so that it will be out of the path of movement of the scoop. As the scoop rises on the vertical portions of the guides it contacts with latch 9 which turns into the dotted line position indicated while holding the edge of the scoop and tilting it in the dotted line position indicated to empty the material into a suitable chute or hopper. When the empty scoop is returned for a second operation the sheave 16 is again swung by hand into the full line position indicated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for unloading material from cars, a vertically adjustable guide adapted to be lowered into the car, a sheave normally lying adjacent said guide, a cable passing over said sheave, a scoop secured to said cable, and means for moving said sheave out of the path of movement of said scoop along said guide.

2. In an apparatus for unloading material from cars, a pair of adjustable guides vertically mounted and secured to said car, supports comprising overlapping sections removably secured to the car and to said guides, a. scoop movable along said guides, and means for tilting and dumping said scoop.

dumped by said latch, and means for swingprising overlapping sections secured to said clamp and-to said guide, a second sheave normally lying adjacent the lower end of said guide, a cable passed oversaid sheaves, a scoop secured to said cable,-movable over said guide and adapted to be tilted and dumped by said latch, and means for swinging said second sheave out of the path of movement of said scoop.

5. In an. apparatus for unloading material from cars, a vertically disposed guide curved at substantially right angles at its lower end, a sheave. near the top of said guide, a second sheave normally lying adj acent the lower extremity of said guide, a cable passed over said sheaves, anda scoop secured to said cable and movable over said guide, said second sheave being adapted to swing out of the path of movement of said scoop.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ALMON W. GROTHAMEL. 

